Sammy

A Wilder Bunch??

Casting Call Part 2 / Dutch Engstrom / Ernest Borgnine
The Wild Bunch 1973

Wikipedia says: “Among those considered to play Dutch Engstrom were Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, Alex Cord, Robert Culp, Sammy Davis, Jr., Richard Jaeckel, Steve McQueen, and George Peppard. Ernest Borgnine was cast based on his performance in The Dirty Dozen (1967).

Who would you have Cast?:

Charles Bronson Western Filmography
1954 Vera Cruz /  1954 Drum Beat
 1954 Apache /  1954 Riding Shotgun
1956 Jubal /  1957 Run of the Arrow
1957 Showdown at Boot Hill / 1960 The Magnificent Seven
1961 A Thunder of Drums1968 Villa Rides
1968 Once Upon a Time in the West / 1968 Guns for San Sebastian

Jim Brown Western Filmography
1964 Rio Conchos
1969 100 Rifles
1970 El Condor
1975 Take a Hard Ride

Alex Cord Western Filmography
2009 Fire from Below
1977 Grayeagle
1972 Gunsmoke (TV Series)
1966 Stagecoach
1995 Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series)
1995 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (TV Series)
1965 Branded (TV Series)
1961 Laramie (TV Series) 

Robert Culp Western Filmography
1963 The Raiders / 1971 Hannie Cauldur

Robert Culp TV Westerns 
 Trackdown (1957–1959)
Tate (1960) / Johnny Ringo (1960)
Outlaws (1960) / The Westerner (1960) 
Zane Grey Theater (1957-1960)
Rawhide (1961) / Bonanza (1961)
Rifleman (1960-1962) / Wagon Train (1962)
The Virginian (1964) Gunsmoke (1964)
The Hanged Man (1964) Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993)
Lonesome Dove: The Series  (1994)

Sammy Davis, Jr. Western Filmography
Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) / Lawman (TV Series)
Sergeants 3 (1962) / The Rifleman (TV Series)
The Wild Wild West (TV Series) / The Trackers (1971)
Gone with the West (1975)

Richard Jaeckel Western Filmography
The Gunfighter (1950) / Apache Ambush (1955)
3:10 to Yuma (1957) / Cowboy (1958)
Cimarron City (TV) (1958) / The Texan (TV) 1959
Trackdown (TV) 1959 / Zane Grey Theater (TV) (1960)
Tales of Wells Fargo (TV) (1960) / The Rebel (TV) (1960)
Flaming Star (1960) / The Tall Man (TV) (1961)
Lawman (TV) (1961) / Frontier Circus (1961–1962)
Have Gun – Will Travel (TV) (1962) / Wagon Train (TV) (1961–1963)
The Dakotas (TV) (1963) / 4 for Texas (1963)
The Virginian (TV) (1964) / Town Tamer (1965)
The Wild Wild West (1966–1967) / Bonanza (1964–1967)
Chisum (1970) / Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) / Gunsmoke (TV) (1963–1975)
The Last Day (1975) / The Oregon Trail (1977)
Kit Carson and the Mountain Men (1977)
Go West, Young Girl (1978) 

Steve McQueen Western Filmography
Trackdown (TV) 1958 / Tales of Wells Fargo (TV) 1958
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV) 1958-1961
Nevada Smith (1966) / Junior Bonner (1972)
Tom Horn (1980)

George Peppard Western Filmography
How the West Was Won 1962 / Rough Night in Jericho 1967
Cannon for Cordoba 1970 / The Bravos 1972

Another decent group of candidates.
From among this Bunch I think a popular vote would likely see Bronson and McQueen win out.
But I can’t guess who would win between them?
Bronson had appeared in a couple of movies before with Borgnine,
including Vera Cruz (1954) – if that means anything?

Next let’s have a look at Warren Oates’ role of Lyle Gorch …